For Janet Alphabet Soup
S is for Security
by GateGremlyn
A missing scene for Heroes.
Janet couldn't help but laugh at the antics of SG1. Truly, they were like little kids sometimes, staking out their territory-and Daniel, of all people, was the worst. What was he thinking making Bregman run down the hallway after him? She snorted and then looked around to make sure she hadn't been heard. Daniel stood at the far end of the infirmary, talking animatedly with Cameron--Doctor Balinsky, the linguist and archaeologist from Daniel's department assigned to SG13. The way the two of them were waving their hands about and the way Colonel Dixon was rolling his eyes, they must be talking about some recent find. She thought she could hear the words “artifacts” and “ruins” but maybe that was because she always heard those words coming from Daniel.
It was so nice to have him back in the fold, so nice to hear those words again and be able to enjoy them. It made the world spin a little more securely on its axis knowing he was again a part of it. While he'd been gone (her heart skipped a beat at the thought), she'd winced every time she'd heard someone talk about artifacts and ruins. It hurt her, still, to think how she'd failed him. The laughter from across the room interrupted her thoughts. None of it mattered now. He was back and more alive than ever. She listened in as Daniel described, one more time, his “escape” from poor unsuspecting Emmet Bregman.
She had a meeting with Bregman in a few hours so she was putting some files in order, leaving some of her staff to conduct the pre-mission physicals for SG13. She was disappointed because she liked Dave Dixon. They'd had more than one talk about trying to balance family with the demands of the Stargate program. As a father of four, he understood her frustration when she couldn't get to a parent/teacher conference or to a soccer game. He was an easy going man and a good team leader. He and Jack O'Neill went back aways, and the fact that Jack respected him made Janet like him all the more. Speaking of children, she needed to remember to call Cassie at lunch time and remind her to pull a casserole out of the freezer for dinner.
Still, what must the poor Emmett Bregman be thinking? Here they were, SG1, the flagship team, the saviors of the world-of the galaxy-behaving like, well, teenagers. She picked up her coffee cup to hide her smile. There was something endearing about their antics with Bregman. Daniel, especially, was usually so serious, always focused on his work. Everybody knew he wasn't really good at obeying orders from anyone, not even Jack O'Neill. The colonel adjusted, of course, as any good commander would, and smoothed the way for Daniel to do what he did best.
She took a sip of her now cold coffee. How did people drink this vile stuff? Maybe she had time to stop by Sam's office for a better cup before she went back to work. Unless Sam was tied up with Bregman. She dumped her cup in the trash. Sam's reaction to Bregman surprised her, even more than Daniel's did. She'd never really seen Sam tongue-tied. Sam was the brightest of the bright, a theoretical astrophysicist, an accomplished member of a front line team, and a blushing schoolgirl in front of the camera. What she wouldn't give to have seen that. And why did all her descriptions come back to children? Even Teal'c was being stubborn and sulky.
Not that they weren't entitled, she thought. After you've saved the world a few times, you've no doubt earned the right to be a little contrary in the face of outrageous bureaucracy. Colonel O'Neill, even more than Daniel, was not good at bowing to public relations nonsense. He'd been playing tag with Bregman ever since his arrival. But honestly, peridot? What on earth was the colonel thinking? And Mary Steenbergen? Really!
~::~
She kind of liked Bregman--when he wasn't being a pain and bothering everybody, of course. He had a kind of intensity, maybe even a sincerity that intrigued her. He'd shown her an uncomfortable, almost sweet side when he'd talked about his late wife. She didn't like to admit to herself that she'd been touched by his attention. He'd told her she looked good in front of the camera, and even if it was posturing on his part, she'd been flattered. And amused--but mostly flattered. It didn't bother her in the least to do a little posturing of her own by telling him that her daughter was an alien. He seemed to think that would be worth another interview. She got the feeling that not much impressed Bregman but maybe “my daughter is an alien from another planet” would work.
It was too bad their meeting had been interrupted. When a general called, you went. It was part of the joy of being in the military. When there was an emergency, you responded. She watched as her team gathered their gear in their usual efficient way. She'd trained them well and they were ready to go within minutes. She knew there was a man down on the other side of the 'gate. That would be her assignment while the rest of her people set up a triage station and prepared for more wounded, something she fervently hoped wouldn't be necessary. Each of them knew what was expected of them and each of them would perform admirably, of that she had no doubt. It was too bad Bregman couldn't see what when on in the field. Even more than their reports (and boy, had they given him some interesting reports), a day in the field would show him what SG units were all about.
Daniel, Sam, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c would be waiting for her on the other side of the 'gate. Naturally, they'd gone ahead to secure the area and to lend their aid to SG13. That's what they did and they did it well. For all her joking, there was nothing childish or surly about the way they did their jobs. They were the best of the best, the team Emmet Bregman didn't know. Janet did. She had every faith in their ability to bring SG13 home.
She didn't get to go through the 'gate often, only went when she was really needed-like today. And while she took her job very seriously, it gave her a thrill to watch the 'gate whoosh to life. It was exciting to go halfway across the galaxy no matter what waited on the other side. SG1 had things under control, and they would keep her as safe as she could be. When she got back, she'd see if she could get them to ease up on Bregman who really wasn't the ogre they made him out to be. Then she'd see if she could get him to ask her out on a date-if she still remembered how to date. Right now, however, she needed to focus on her mission.
She watched the event horizon form, waved her team forward, and went through to meet SG1 on the other side.